EP0468706A2 - Schubvektorsteuerungsvorrichtung für einen Ionenantriebwerk - Google Patents

Schubvektorsteuerungsvorrichtung für einen Ionenantriebwerk Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0468706A2
EP0468706A2 EP91306561A EP91306561A EP0468706A2 EP 0468706 A2 EP0468706 A2 EP 0468706A2 EP 91306561 A EP91306561 A EP 91306561A EP 91306561 A EP91306561 A EP 91306561A EP 0468706 A2 EP0468706 A2 EP 0468706A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
thruster
grid
ion thruster
ion
propellant
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91306561A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0468706A3 (en
Inventor
Peter Smith
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd
Original Assignee
GEC Marconi Ltd
Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd
Marconi Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GEC Marconi Ltd, Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd, Marconi Co Ltd filed Critical GEC Marconi Ltd
Publication of EP0468706A2 publication Critical patent/EP0468706A2/de
Publication of EP0468706A3 publication Critical patent/EP0468706A3/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H—PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03H1/00—Using plasma to produce a reactive propulsive thrust
    • F03H1/0037—Electrostatic ion thrusters
    • F03H1/0043—Electrostatic ion thrusters characterised by the acceleration grid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/24—Guiding or controlling apparatus, e.g. for attitude control
    • B64G1/26—Guiding or controlling apparatus, e.g. for attitude control using jets
    • B64G1/262—Guiding or controlling apparatus, e.g. for attitude control using jets having adjustable angles, e.g. gimbaled thrusters
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
    • B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
    • B64G1/40—Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems
    • B64G1/411—Electric propulsion
    • B64G1/413—Ion or plasma engines

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns control systems for ion thrusters.
  • Ion thrusters are known devices which produce thrust for spacecraft by ionising a propellant and accelerating the ions so produced to a high velocity by a number of electrically charged grids.
  • an ion thruster comprising means for ionising a propellant, a screen grid, an accelerator grid for accelerating propellant ions passing through the screen grid, wherein means is provided for generating controlled relative movement between the screen grid and the accelerator grid of the thruster thereby to provide control of the thrust vector of the thruster.
  • Relative movement between the screen grid and the accelerator grid alters the direction of the ion beam emerging from the accelerator grid and hence the direction of the reaction force on the thruster.
  • the accelerator grid and/or the screen grid may be movable in the general direction in which the grids extend.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings show an ion thruster comprising a discharge chamber 1 housing a hollow cathode 2, a cathode keeper 3 and an annular anode 4.
  • the plasma generated in the discharge chamber is designated P.
  • the chamber 1 also includes solenoid coils 5 for generating a magnetic field (field lines shown as M) for increasing the paths of electrons by a cyclotron effect (the spiral path E) between cathode and anode in order to increase the probability of ionisation.
  • the chamber also includes an accelerator 6 grid for providing the final acceleration to the ionised propellant. Associated with the accelerator grid 6 is a screen grid 6'.
  • the discharge chamber also has a main propellant inlet 7 and an inlet 8 for leading propellant to the cathode 2.
  • Propellant fed into the hollow cathode 2 is ionised by the arc which strikes between the cathode and the cathode keeper which is more positive than the cathode.
  • Propellant fed into main inlet 7 is ionised by collision with the electrons created in the arc attracted towards the anode along their spiralling path.
  • the screen grid 6' is at the same potential as that of the interior of the discharge chamber, and ions are not accelerated towards it but simply drift towards it. Those in the close vicinity of the screen grid 6' are accelerated towards and through the accelerator grid 6, which is highly negative compared to the screen grid, creating an ion beam through the accelerator grid. A reactive thrust is thus applied to the accelerator grid and hence the thruster.
  • a cloud of electrons is generated by neutraliser 24 in which propellant is supplied, to neutralise the ion beam.
  • a further grid at the same spacecraft earth potential as screen 23 could surround the accelerator grid 6, in order to prevent any non-ionised propellant atoms or molecules which may pass through the accelerator grid and may be ionised outside the thruster through collision with the ion beam through a process of charge exchange, from being accelerated towards the accelerator grid, since such ions could thereby damage the accelerator grid 6.
  • control valves 9 and 10 Associated with the propellant inlets are control valves 9 and 10.
  • the accelerator grid 6 has an associated accelerator grid power supply unit 13, the solenoid coils 5 a power supply unit 14, the annular anode 4 an anode power supply unit 15, and the cathode keeper 3 a power supply unit 16.
  • the beam power supply 22 is connected to spacecraft earth, and the beam power supply unit 22 is earthed with respect to the body of the thruster.
  • the anode supply 15, and cathode keeper supply 3, are referenced to the beam supply 22.
  • the ion thruster includes a neutraliser cathode 17 having a neutraliser keeper power supply 18, and a neutraliserflow control valve 19 in a propellant line 20. All the power supply units described are D.C.
  • the ion thruster comprising these various integers is known as a Kaufman-type ion engine or thruster and as can be seen has six separate power supply units and three propellant feeds, these being the main propellant feed 7, the cathode propellant feed 8 and the neutraliser propellant feed 20.
  • Typical voltages relative to spacecraft earth of the various electrodes etc are: beam power supply unit 2, cathode, discharge chamber and screen 6', +1100 volts; cathode keeper, +12 volts, electromagnet 5, +12 volts, anode 4, +40 volts, and accelerator grid - 350 volts.
  • Figure 3 shows an enlarged and simplified view of the passage of ionised propellant from the thruster.
  • ions generated in the discharge chamber flow through the screen grid 6' and are accelerated by the potential difference between the screen grid 6' and the accelerator grid 6 giving a beam B with a thrust vector V.
  • the holes in the two grids 6 and 6' are machined to produce the required thrust beam without inducing impingement of the ions on the accelerator grid 6.
  • Figure 4 shows the situation where a small relative movement has been imparted to the grids 6 and 6'. This movement produces a deflection of the ions as they pass through the grid holes.
  • the ions can be deflected from their original course onto a new course, and in so doing create a reaction on the grid caused by momentum exchange which is manifested as a change to the direction of the thrust vector. Accordingly by carefully designing the control and actuation mechanism it is possible to provide control of the thrust vector V.
  • Various mechanisms to generate grid movement may be used, such as heated or cooled elements the expansion and contraction of which will cause grid movement; mechanical or worm drives associated with motors; or piezo electric crystal actuators.
  • This technique for thrust vector control is also applicable to 3 or more grid thrusters.
  • the dished section of the grid 6 is approximately 10cm in diameter and the holes, of which there are approximately 1500, are about 2mm in diameter.
  • the technique could be applied to other sizes of grids and holes.
  • the invention is not restricted to ion thrusters of the Kaufman (or electron bombardment ion thruster) type, but is applicable to any ion thruster employing an electrostatic field to accelerate positively charged ions using a screen grid and an accelerator grid.
  • the invention is also applicable to the type of ion thruster in which the electromagnets 5 of the Kaufman type are replaced by permanent magnets.
  • the electron path from the cathode to a boundary anode is extended by the use of an array of magnetic pole strips, adjacent poles being of opposite polarity, provided at the discharge chamber walls adjacent the boundary anode, in order to reflect a large fraction of the ions and electrons approaching it.
  • the invention is applicable to the type of ion thruster in which the discharge chamber with electrons is replaced by an electrodeless r.f. discharge chamber, e.g. formed by an annular quartz cylinder.
  • gaseous propellant although it may be stored in liquid from
  • solids or liquids such as Caesium or Mercury which are vapourised when heated may be employed.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
EP19910306561 1990-07-27 1991-07-18 Thrust vector control unit for an iron thruster Withdrawn EP0468706A3 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB909016567A GB9016567D0 (en) 1990-07-27 1990-07-27 Ion thruster vector control
GB9016567 1990-07-27

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0468706A2 true EP0468706A2 (de) 1992-01-29
EP0468706A3 EP0468706A3 (en) 1992-02-26

Family

ID=10679787

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19910306561 Withdrawn EP0468706A3 (en) 1990-07-27 1991-07-18 Thrust vector control unit for an iron thruster

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0468706A3 (de)
JP (1) JPH0693958A (de)
GB (2) GB9016567D0 (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5924277A (en) * 1996-12-17 1999-07-20 Hughes Electronics Corporation Ion thruster with long-lifetime ion-optics system
EP1099235A1 (de) * 1998-07-21 2001-05-16 Saintech Pty. Limited Ionenquelle
ES2224848A1 (es) * 2003-05-07 2005-03-01 Jesus Arteaga Diaz Motor propulsor para nave espacial.
EP1619123A2 (de) 2004-07-21 2006-01-25 United Technologies Corporation Gestufter Strahler-Anzieher Ionenantrieb
US7500350B1 (en) * 2005-01-28 2009-03-10 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Elimination of lifetime limiting mechanism of hall thrusters
WO2016178701A1 (en) * 2015-05-04 2016-11-10 Craig Davidson Thrust augmentation systems
CN110513260A (zh) * 2019-09-27 2019-11-29 哈尔滨工业大学（深圳） 一种射频等离子体推进器
EP3892853A1 (de) * 2020-04-07 2021-10-13 ENPULSION GmbH Neutralisator für ein ionentriebwerk eines raumfahrzeugs

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5947421A (en) * 1997-07-09 1999-09-07 Beattie; John R. Electrostatic propulsion systems and methods
KR100851901B1 (ko) * 2005-01-07 2008-08-13 삼성전자주식회사 이온 빔 추출장치
US11077962B2 (en) * 2015-12-07 2021-08-03 The George Washington University High thrust to power micro cathode arc thruster
CN109533350B (zh) * 2019-01-09 2024-06-11 酷黑科技（北京）有限公司 一种涵道推进器

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6166871A (ja) * 1984-09-11 1986-04-05 Toshiba Corp Ｒｆ型イオン・エンジン
JPS63246476A (ja) * 1987-03-31 1988-10-13 Toshiba Corp イオンスラスタ
JPS63246478A (ja) * 1987-03-31 1988-10-13 Toshiba Corp イオンスラスタ
JPH02163475A (ja) * 1988-12-15 1990-06-22 Mitsubishi Electric Corp イオンエンジン

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB716716A (en) * 1951-06-20 1954-10-13 Ass Elect Ind Improvements relating to the construction of electron guns
CH391128A (de) * 1961-11-22 1965-04-30 Trueb Taeuber & Co Ag Elektrostatisches Immersionsobjektiv
DE3018623C2 (de) * 1980-05-16 1983-03-24 Kernforschungsanlage Jülich GmbH, 5170 Jülich Beschleunigungsgitter
EP0132065A3 (de) * 1983-07-13 1986-05-28 The Marconi Company Limited Elektrisches Triebwerk für den Raumantrieb
US4838021A (en) * 1987-12-11 1989-06-13 Hughes Aircraft Company Electrostatic ion thruster with improved thrust modulation

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6166871A (ja) * 1984-09-11 1986-04-05 Toshiba Corp Ｒｆ型イオン・エンジン
JPS63246476A (ja) * 1987-03-31 1988-10-13 Toshiba Corp イオンスラスタ
JPS63246478A (ja) * 1987-03-31 1988-10-13 Toshiba Corp イオンスラスタ
JPH02163475A (ja) * 1988-12-15 1990-06-22 Mitsubishi Electric Corp イオンエンジン

Non-Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
AERONAUTIQUE ET ASTRONAUTIQUE. vol. 37, 1972, PARIS FR pages 55 - 66; M REYNIER C LANDRAULT: 'PRINCIPE DE FONCTIONNEMENT ET CARACTERISTIQUES DES SYSTEMES DE PROPULSION ELECTRIQUE . APPLICATION A LA STABILISATION DES SATELLITES.' *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 10, no. 234 (M-507)(2290) 14 August 1986 & JP-A-61 066 871 ( TOSHIBA ) 5 April 1986 *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 13, no. 36 (M-790)(3348) 26 January 1989 & JP-A-63 246 476 ( TOSHIBA ) 13 October 1988 *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 13, no. 36 (M-790)(3384) 26 January 1989 & JP-A-63 246 478 ( TOSHIBA ) 13 October 1988 *

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5924277A (en) * 1996-12-17 1999-07-20 Hughes Electronics Corporation Ion thruster with long-lifetime ion-optics system
EP1099235A1 (de) * 1998-07-21 2001-05-16 Saintech Pty. Limited Ionenquelle
EP1099235A4 (de) * 1998-07-21 2006-05-10 Saintech Pty Ltd Ionenquelle
ES2224848A1 (es) * 2003-05-07 2005-03-01 Jesus Arteaga Diaz Motor propulsor para nave espacial.
EP1619123A2 (de) 2004-07-21 2006-01-25 United Technologies Corporation Gestufter Strahler-Anzieher Ionenantrieb
EP1619123A3 (de) * 2004-07-21 2009-02-25 United Technologies Corporation Gestufter Strahler-Anzieher Ionenantrieb
US7500350B1 (en) * 2005-01-28 2009-03-10 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Elimination of lifetime limiting mechanism of hall thrusters
WO2016178701A1 (en) * 2015-05-04 2016-11-10 Craig Davidson Thrust augmentation systems
CN110513260A (zh) * 2019-09-27 2019-11-29 哈尔滨工业大学（深圳） 一种射频等离子体推进器
EP3892853A1 (de) * 2020-04-07 2021-10-13 ENPULSION GmbH Neutralisator für ein ionentriebwerk eines raumfahrzeugs
WO2021204463A1 (en) * 2020-04-07 2021-10-14 Enpulsion Gmbh Neutralizer for an ion thruster of a spacecraft

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9016567D0 (en) 1990-09-12
JPH0693958A (ja) 1994-04-05
GB2248727A (en) 1992-04-15
GB9115541D0 (en) 1991-09-04
EP0468706A3 (en) 1992-02-26

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